Of Palaces and Pubs: Our First Day in London

If you’ve been following along on our travel journeys, you know everything goes fine until transportation is involved. We really did intend to get to the train station on time, but Paris traffic had other plans.

We woke up at the Newport Bay Club tired but ready to set off for our final European country of the honeymoon: England. Tom had coordinated with the hotel to have a car pick us up and bring us to the train station in Paris so we could travel to London. The car service pushed us an hour later than I had wanted to leave, but the hotel thought it would leave us enough time. Well, we got ourselves packed up, said goodbye to Disney, and loaded all of our bags into the car with a feeling of optimism and a healthy dose of faith. I dozed off during the ride (per usual) and woke up to see a time stressfully close to our train’s departure and the station not within sight. Uh oh.

Paris traffic had been painfully slow, and because we were taking an international train and leaving the EU, we would need to show our passports and go through a check in process similar to taking an airplane (minus conveniently putting our bags on a conveyer belt). Our driver parked near the train station and helped us to make our way inside where we hoped that luck would be on our side and it would be a slow day. Maybe we’d get lucky. Nope.

Bags in tow and passports in hand, we made our way through the different checkpoints, but we came into luck when the workers asked if anyone was on the next departing train. Yes, us, help! They led us through the line and helped us to save valuable minutes, something that would never happen in an American airport. I know because the last time I flew through Texas and was waiting to show my passport, someone behind me asked a worker if there was anything they could do to not miss their connecting flight. The worker just laughed.

The next hurdle was showing our receipts at a kiosk to be eligible for our VAT refunds. If we weren’t hustling to barely make our train, this process would have been an easier and less stressful one, but we got it done in the nick of time. It’s a great program if you’re in the EU and know that you’ll be spending money on some bigger souvenir purchases. For us that applied to our purchases in Delft and some shopping we did for family in Disneyland Paris. If you’re in the EU, save your receipts and make sure you give yourself an extra half hour (minimum) before you leave the airport or train station to get your paperwork stamped and uploaded.

Finally, we made it to the platform, and, I kid you not, we were the literal last people to board the train. We made it to our seats sweating and by the skin of our teeth. I was grateful at least for the woman on the platform who told me not to bother to run. The train was more comfortable and pleasant than the one we had taken to Paris. The staff were friendlier, the cars were less crowded, and we had enough room to fit our luggage without having to scramble to find empty space. The journey from Gare du Nord to St. Pancras was less than two and a half hours, and we got to experience going through the “chunnel” (channel tunnel).

When we arrived at St. Pancras, we were lucky enough to be meeting with a driver who would take us to our hotel. It felt like being in a movie as we passed landmarks, stores, and palaces I had only ever seen on a screen before. The city is vibrant and reminds me of New York City in many ways, just with a less crowded skyline and far older history around every corner. We pulled up to the hotel, and it was simply stunning. We would be spending a week at St. James Court London, A Taj Hotel thanks to Tom’s dad, who had arranged the stay as our wedding present. This 5-star hotel is steeped in history and prides itself on providing stellar service to its guests. Tom’s dad has been staying there for years, and the concierge team knows him well. We were told that our room would be ready in a couple of hours, and we were welcome to leave our bags with the staff and explore one of the nearby restaurants for some much-needed lunch.

It felt like being on a movie set to pass this on the way to the hotel

We asked for recommendations of the nearby area and settled on Bon Gusto, a small Italian restaurant just across the street. It was a warm day in the city, so we ordered bellinis, a bottle of still water, and two excellent pastas. I went for a lighter vegetarian option with peso, potatoes, and asparagus, and it was fresh and different. After two days of theme park food and a night of pub crawling ahead of us, it was nice to have a “green” lunch. We split the tiramisu for dessert and then made our way back to the hotel to finish checking in.

Pesto, cheese, and fresh pasta....what more could I need?

Our room was simply spectacular and filled with thoughtful touches. Two swans made from towels and covered in rose petals greeted us with a “congratulations” banner in the room, a plate of indulgent chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne were waiting on the table, and beautifully arranged single roses were in the bathroom. It was gorgeous and so romantic and set the tone for a wonderful week’s stay.

The hotel staff truly went above and beyond to make our stay special

The room we were in was designed for longer stays, so we were fortunate to have a kitchen with a full refrigerator, a washer/dryer, and a bowl of fresh fruit on the table. We had many bottles of water that were replenished as needed, and given that water is not free in European restaurants, this was very much appreciated on hot days. We were a thrillingly short walk to the gates of Buckingham Palace, and while the sights of the city beckoned to us, a quick nap after our travels was more tempting at that moment. We woke up a couple of hours later and started our night of adventures around 7PM.

Our first stop had to be Buckingham Palace, which we would be returning to early the next morning for the Changing of the Guard. It’s smaller than I anticipated, and it’s amazing how close the gates are to the palace. You have a much closer view than you would at the White House, but we unfortunately were too early in the season for the summer tour sessions. Next, we walked over to see the outside of Westminster Abbey, a stunningly beautiful church in a continent filled with them. While the church is teeming with history, the 31-pound (roughly $42) price per person entrance fee was a bit steep for us, especially considering we had some pricier experiences already on our agenda. We were quickly missing the closer to equivalent dollar to Euro exchange rate and eagerly waiting for the very favorable dollar to yen exchange for our 24 hours in Tokyo. There were definitely some instances where I overspent in London because I forgot about the exchange rate (cough accidentally spending $20 on a single cookie cough).

While we couldn't tour the palace, we had a great time at the Changing of the Guard

A little further took us to Big Ben, and we were lucky enough to hear it chime at 8PM. Having dreamed about seeing London for so many years, it felt almost unreal and so surreal to be able to see these iconic landmarks in real life. I couldn’t get over my luck that I could just casually walk by Big Ben on my way to dinner. What a magical life! We decided to walk all the way to Fleet Street and got the most out of our walk by seeing so many landmarks along the way! While we felt uncomfortable wandering through Paris at night, we felt incredibly safe in London. We did take some trains and the Tube, but the weather was so cooperative, and the sights were so tempting that it made it easy to log so many miles in a day.

I was so excited to see all of the iconic landmarks in person

One of Tom’s brothers had already visited the UK a couple of times, and he sent us a Google Map with pins to his favorite pubs that he and his wife had visited. We’re always grateful for and looking for personal recommendations, and my blogs, hopefully, can help someone find their new favorite restaurant or attraction. Major cities are oversaturated with influencers sharing the same popular recommendations over and over again (if I see one more video about getting hot chocolate from the same two cafes in Paris), so it’s nice to visit places that aren’t just popular for being popular. Yes, a good atmosphere is nice, but when you’re paying London prices, you want to leave satisfied. Plus, for me at least, food is one of my priorities when I travel, especially if it’s something I can’t easily get where I live.

Let's take a moment to just admire the ceiling

Our first pub of the evening was the Old Bank of England, a former bank that is now an eclectic and lively pub filled with nods to history. The ceiling is majestic, and every section of the restaurant (including the restrooms) has something new and interesting to look at. It easily earns a 10/10 on atmosphere and ambience alone. Tom and I split the fish and chips, and they were some of the best that we had on our trip, and, let me tell you, we ate a lot of them. We got one large piece of cod, some delightfully thick chips, and mushy peas that were filled with flavor for just under 20 pounds (about $27). While this was on the expensive side for fish and chips, one plate was plenty for both of us, and I’m still thinking about those mushy peas (and remembering that no other plate lived up to them). I’d love to go back to try one of their handcrafted pies, especially being so close to the infamous Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop.

The best mushy peas...and we ate a lot of fish and chips on that trip

We spent about an hour there and enjoyed a drink before moving further down the street for a very different atmosphere at Ye Old Cheshire Cheese, one of our favorite pubs. The sign outside boasts that the pub has been famous for four centuries and was the well-known haunt of Charles Dickens, who mentioned it in Tale of Two Cities. The pub was rebuilt in 1667 after the Great Fire of London, and another sign outside lists the reigns of the 15 monarchs since its reopening. The pub was originally a 13^th century Carmelite monastery before becoming a pub in 1538. Everything in the pub has a story, and each space, like the Old Bank of London, offers something new to explore and experience. All their beers are brewed by Samuel Smith’s at the Old Brewery in Yorkshire (founded in 1758), and they had multiple organic choices on tap. I went with the organic cider, and it was far and away better than the Angry Orchard you can find in the States. As a historic chop house, they also have a full food menu that includes a traditional Sunday roast for the weekends. If we weren’t so full from our fish and chips, I would have wanted to try  something, and their desserts, regrettably, sounded especially tempting.

It's not every day you can drink somewhere filled with so much history

We chose to take our drinks into the cellar where it felt like stepping back in time. We saw some old rooms in museums, but it’s so thrilling to visit a working pub that is two centuries older than the USA. To just get to casually enter and enjoy a drink in such a historic space is such a privilege  If you have time to only visit one pub in London, I think this would be the one we’d recommend for the rich history, the great selection of beer and ciders, and the full food menu that offers something for everyone.

You literally step into history at this pub

A bit past 11PM we left the pub and started on our walk back to the hotel. The night was alive with theatergoers as we passed Mamma Mia! and other West End productions. The Queen Victoria Memorial and other landmarks greeted us as pleasant surprises as we walked through the ever-quieter city and back to our hotel. The walk took us about an hour, and I miss those rambling evening strolls in such a pedestrian-friendly city.  While I didn’t bring my Fitbit to track my steps on our trip, Google Maps tells me we walked 4 miles round trip from the hotel to Ye Old Cheshire Cheese.

The next day was filled with my favorite activities and things I had only dreamed of doing: watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, experiencing a full afternoon tea, visiting Fortnum & Mason, and attending a show I dreamed of seeing at the West End.